Letterhead and preprinted forms

Letterhead is premium paper that often has a watermark, sometimes uses cotton fiber, and is available in a wide range of colors and finishes with matching envelopes. Preprinted forms can be made of a broad spectrum of paper types ranging from recycled to premium.

Many manufacturers now design these grades of paper with properties optimized for laser printing and advertise the paper as laser compatible or laser guaranteed. Some of the rougher surface finishes, such as cockle, laid, or linen, might require the special fuser modes that are available on some printer models to achieve adequate toner adhesion.

NOTE Some page-to-page variation is normal when printing with laser printers. This variation cannot be observed when printing on plain paper. However, this variation is obvious when printing on preprinted forms because the lines and boxes are already placed on the page.

To avoid problems when using preprinted forms, embossed paper, and letterhead, observe the following guidelines:

Avoid using low-temperature inks (the kind used with some types of thermography).

Use preprinted forms and letterhead paper that have been printed by offset lithography or engraving.

Use forms that have been created with heat-resistant inks that will not melt, vaporize, or release emissions when heated to 200°C (392°F) for 0.1 second. Typically, oxidation-set or oil-based inks meet this requirement.

When the form is preprinted, be careful not to change the moisture content of the paper, and do not use materials that change the paper's electrical or handling properties. Seal the forms in moisture-proof wrap to prevent moisture changes during storage.

Avoid processing preprinted forms that have a finish or coating.

Avoid using heavily embossed or raised-letterhead papers.

Avoid papers that have heavily textured surfaces.

Avoid using offset powders or other materials that prevent printed forms from sticking together.

NOTE To print a single-page cover letter on letterhead, followed by a multiple-page document, feed the letterhead face up in the priority input tray, and load the standard paper in the main input tray (tray 1). The device automatically prints from the priority input tray first.

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HP M1005 manual Letterhead and preprinted forms